U.S. patent application number 11/263016 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-04 for cigarette mini-pack with improved front panel.
This patent application is currently assigned to Philip Morris USA Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott A. Fath, Robert T. Mitten.
Application Number | 20060091026 11/263016 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37990419 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060091026 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mitten; Robert T. ; et
al. |
May 4, 2006 |
Cigarette mini-pack with improved front panel
Abstract
A cigarette mini-pack comprises a box container and an integral
hinge lid. Both the box container and the hinge lid have a
generally square cross section. The hinge lid includes front, top
and back panels with interconnecting side panels. The front panel
of the hinge lid does not include a fold back panel and instead
comprises a single thickness of material. Without a fold back
panel, the blank for forming the cigarette mini-pack includes upper
and lower angled edges that compliment one another. A cut
separating serially arranged blanks simultaneously forms the lower
angled edge of one blank and the top angled edge of the trailing
blank.
Inventors: |
Mitten; Robert T.; (Glen
Allen, VA) ; Fath; Scott A.; (Richmond, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CONNOLLY BOVE LODGE & HUTZ, LLP
P O BOX 2207
WILMINGTON
DE
19899
US
|
Assignee: |
Philip Morris USA Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37990419 |
Appl. No.: |
11/263016 |
Filed: |
October 31, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10891702 |
Jul 14, 2004 |
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11263016 |
Oct 31, 2005 |
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60493848 |
Aug 8, 2003 |
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60529210 |
Dec 12, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/273 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/1045
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/273 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/10 20060101
B65D085/10 |
Claims
1. A cigarette mini-pack comprising a box container and an integral
hinge lid, both the box container and the hinge lid having a
generally square cross section, the hinge lid including front, top
and back panels with interconnecting side panels, and the front
panel of the hinge lid comprising a single thickness of
material.
2. A cigarette mini-pack as in claim 1 wherein the box container is
constructed and arranged to accommodate ten cigarettes.
3. A cigarette mini-pack as in claim 2 wherein the box container is
constructed and arranged to accommodate ten cigarettes with a
side-to-side cigarette collation of 2-3-2-3.
4. A flat blank for a cigarette mini-pack comprising serially
arranged and connected segments for forming a box container and an
integral hinge lid, and wherein the blank includes an upper angled
edge and a lower angled edge that compliment one another.
5. A flat blank as in claim 4 wherein the upper angled edge extends
along a front panel and opposite side panels of the hinge lid, and
the complimentary lower angled edge extends along a front panel and
opposite side panels of the box container.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 10/891,702, filed Jul. 14, 2004 which relates
to applications Ser. Nos. 60/493,848, filed Aug. 8, 2003 and
60/529,210, filed Dec. 12, 2003. All of these applications are
incorporated herein in their entirety for all useful purposes, and
the full benefit of all of these prior applications is claimed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a cigarette mini-pack with
an improved front panel, and more particularly to a cigarette
mini-pack with a hinge lid where the front panel of the hinge lid
does not include a fold back panel and instead comprises a single
thickness of material.
[0003] For the most part cigarettes are sold in packs with twenty
cigarettes in each pack. Many pack constructions comprise a
cigarette box with a hinge lid that articulates along a horizontal
hinge line between open and closed positions. The hinge lid of
these pack constructions includes a front panel with a fold back
panel on the inside thereof that imparts strength and stability to
the hinge lid as it articulates between its open and closed
positions. In many instances the blanks for forming these pack
constructions are serially cut from a continuous roll of paperboard
stock, and the fold back panel of the hinge lid adds to the overall
length of each blank by the height of the fold back panel. In the
flat condition the fold back panel extends along the lower edge of
the front panel of the hinge lid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In accordance with the present invention, a cigarette
mini-pack comprises a box container and an integral hinge lid. Both
the box container and hinge lid have a generally square cross
section, and the hinge lid includes front, top and back panels with
interconnecting side panels. The front panel of the hinge lid does
not include a fold back panel and instead comprises a single
thickness of material.
[0005] The box container of the cigarette mini-pack preferably is
constructed and arranged to accommodate ten cigarettes, and one of
the preferable cigarette collations is a 2-3-2-3 collation from
side-to-side of the box container.
[0006] It is significant that a flat blank for the cigarette
mini-packs comprises serially arranged segments for forming the box
container and the integral hinge lid. Without the fold back panel
for the front panel of the hinge lid, the blank includes an upper
angled edge and lower angled edge that compliment one another. A
single cut between adjacent blanks simultaneously forms the bottom
edge of one blank and the top edge of the trailing blank. The upper
angled edge extends along the front panel and opposite side panels
of the hinge lid while the lower angled edge extends along the
front panel and opposite side panels of the box container.
[0007] Moreover, the cigarette mini-packs of the present invention
may be releaseably connected to one another for sale in pairs.
Preferably, the overall dimensions of length, width and depth of
each individual cigarette mini-pack is such that when paired, the
resultant overall dimensions of the formed pack are compatible with
the dimensional requirements of state tax stamp machines and the
associated carton recasing equipment, as well as those of
point-of-sale displays and display racks at retail. The pair of
mini-packs are wrapped together and each pack may include ten
cigarettes for a total of twenty cigarettes which is the minimum
quantity allowed for sale in certain countries. This overall
mini-pack construction allows the consumer to carry only ten
cigarettes in one of the packs after the initial purchase of twenty
cigarettes. The smaller mini-pack of ten cigarettes easily fits in
small purses, pockets and the like.
[0008] The box has an inner frame and a bundle of ten foil wrapped
cigarettes is placed within the inner frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Novel features and advantages of the present invention in
addition to those mentioned above will be readily apparent to
persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the
following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar
parts and in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette mini-pack,
according to the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a pair of cigarette mini-packs
of FIG. 1 with the cigarettes in one of the packets in phantom
outline;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a blank for forming the
cigarette mini-pack shown in FIG. 1; and
[0013] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of serially arranged blanks for
forming the cigarette mini-packs of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Referring in more particularity to the drawings, FIG. 1
illustrates a cigarette mini-pack 10 comprising a box container 12
and an integral hinge lid 14 that articulates along a horizontal
hinge line 16 between open and closed positions. Both the box
container 12 and the hinge lid 14 have a generally square cross
section. An inner frame 18 is positioned within the box container
12, and a foil wrapped bundle of cigarettes 20 is located within
the inner frame. The cigarette mini-pack 10 is fabricated from
paperboard and the like, as is well known in the industry.
[0015] The front panel of the hinge lid does not include a fold
back panel and instead comprises a single thickness of material.
The smaller size of the mini-pack 10 when compared to 20 count
packs has a hinge lid with sufficient strength and stability
without a fold back panel.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a pair of mini-packs 10 as well as the
cigarettes 20 in one of the packs. Normally cigarettes are sold in
units of 20 cigarettes per unit, and FIG. 2 comprises a pair of
cigarette mini-packs 10 with ten cigarettes in each pack. The packs
are releasably connected to one another for sale in pairs. The pair
of mini-packs 10 may be wrapped together, and each pack may include
ten cigarettes for total of twenty cigarettes which is the minimum
quantity allowed for sale in certain countries. This overall
construction allows the consumer to carry only ten cigarettes in
one of the mini-packs after the initial purchase of twenty
cigarettes.
[0017] One of the mini-packs may be individually wrapped and then
combined with a second pack both of which are then overwrapped with
clear overwrap material. When initially opened the separate
overwrapped mini-pack retains freshness until the pack is opened at
a later time and the cigarettes are consumed. In the alternative,
the mini-packs are not individually wrapped, but are combined with
a single overwrap, so that when the single overwrap is removed, the
separable mini-packs are without clear overwrap.
[0018] FIG. 2 also shows one of the preferred cigarette collations
where cigarettes are arranged in a 2-3-2-3 collation from
side-to-side of the mini-pack 10.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a flat blank for forming a cigarette mini-pack
10. With respect to the hinge lid 14, the blank includes a back
panel 24, top panel 26 and a front panel 28. Interconnecting side
panels 30, 32 are provided on the left side of the hinge lid while
interconnecting side panels 34, 36 are located on the right side of
the hinge lid. A top flap 38 is located on the left while a top
flap 40 is located on the right side.
[0020] The blank portions forming the box container 12 include back
panel 42, bottom panel 44 and front panel 46. Side panels 48, 50
form the left side of the box container 12 while side panels 52, 54
form the right side. The box container 12 also includes a bottom
flap 56 on the left side and a bottom flap 58 on the right
side.
[0021] It is significant that the front panel 28 of the hinge lid
14 does not include a fold back panel or any other similar
construction. Instead the front panel 28 comprises a single
thickness of paperboard material. This has the advantage of
reducing the overall length of blank 22 when compared to
constructions where the front panel of the hinge lid includes a
fold back panel. The blank is shortened by the height of the fold
back panel when compared to such a construction.
[0022] Another advantage of the present invention is that the upper
angled edge of the blank and the lower angled edge of the blank
compliment one another. Accordingly, a single cut along line 60
between adjacent blanks 22, 22' forms the lower angled edge of
blank 22 and simultaneously forms the upper angled edge of trailing
blank 22'. These features are shown in FIG. 4 where an
interconnected column of blanks are illustrated. It is to be
understood that a sheet of board material may include several
columns or more of the blanks.
[0023] Also, without a fold back panel on the inside of the front
panel 28 of the hinge lid 14, a smooth transition is provided
between front panel 28 of the hinge lid 14 and front panel 46 on
the box container 12. On constructions that include a fold back
panel, the front panel of the hinge lid is slightly outwardly
raised from the front panel of the box container by the thickness
of the fold back panel. It has been found that the front panel has
sufficient rigidity without a fold back panel, and its absence
provides a better closing action and fit when the pack is
closed.
[0024] Also, the cigarette mini-pack 10 may include beveled or
rounded corners, if desired. Otherwise, the construction of such
mini-packs is the same as described above.
* * * * *